That One Time We Kissed // Bishova College AU

Lab Rat

The next day in Stark Tower, Kate could hardly focus on the simple solution she was mixing. Her mind was elsewhere. On her mother's opinion of her, on the poor little puppy she now had no idea what to do with, how Yelena was oddly distant yesterday.

How could she have been so stupid? Pets cost hundreds more per year to keep in her mother's apartment building, and they were not allowed at all in her school dormitory. Kate shook her head in disappointment, moving test tubes around the lab on autopilot. Stupid.

Kate was aware that her internal monologue was not helping the situation, but when that was what she had been fed her whole life, what else could she think of herself? When Kate forgot her toothbrush on every family vacation? Mindless. When Kate set off every fire alarm in the penthouse because she forgot to put water in her macaroni? Oblivious. Hell, when she got run over by a car for skating in the street? Idiot.

"How goes it, young Bishop?" Tony asked, coming into the lab with a flourish.

The sudden noise broke Kate's stream of consciousness, and the rack of tubes slipped haplessly out of her hands, crashing into a smatter of glass on the tile floor.

"Shit," Kate groaned, one gloved hand rubbing at her temple in exasperation. Stooping down, Kate began picking up the shards one by one before realizing it was literal glass. "Shit."

"Whoa, kid..." Tony soothed, quickly grabbing a broom from the corner and shooing Kate away, nudging her gently back with his sneakers. "It's alright, Bishop. Just a little glass." He studied Kate's tight jaw, her downcast eyes as she stood. "What, you think I don't have enough money to replace that?"

"No, I'm sure you do, Mr. Stark."

Tony frowned, off put by the lack of reciprocated sarcasm. He continued lightly sweeping, a guise to chat candidly with his protégé. "So, uh, I think I know what this is about."

Kate sat up on a fire-retardant counter to avoid sneaky shards of glass, boots swinging. "What do you mean?"

"You've been a robot all day. Normally I can hear you and Parker from down the hall, but today, I didn't even have to use my earplugs to walk by."

"Oh. Just a little distracted, I guess. Sorry."

"Yeah, I heard bits and pieces from Pepper." He shrugged. "I'm sure it wasn't exactly fun at your place last night."

"Hm. So you really are a genius," Kate said sarcastically, and Tony cracked a smirk.

"Okay, that's better. Listen, I know I'm technically your boss and all, but we're like, two degrees of separation away from family so... if you wanna talk about something, kid, feel free. Can't have my brightest intern stuck in teenage angst."

"I'm twenty one."

"Really? Thought you were fourteen."

"And I thought you were seventy and senile, but one out of two ain't bad."

Tony finished up his sweeping, tossing the shards safely into a trash can. His steps echoed loudly in the empty lab as he hoisted himself up to sit across from Kate, leaning forward. "I'm sure you'll miss her, but it's only a few weeks."

Kate quirked an eyebrow. "I'll miss him, sure. But my mom was right. Shouldn't have brought him home in the first place."

"I thought your mom liked... him?"

"No, she totally freaked yesterday when she came home. I didn't think it through though, and that's on me. I should've known she wouldn't like a random street puppy."

Tony paused. "A random... okay, unless that's a really weird nickname you have for Yelena,  we're talking about entirely different things."

"What?" Kate sat back, exasperated. "I came home with a puppy yesterday and my mom is making me get rid of it. What did Yelena tell Pepper?"

"Ah, shit. She hasn't told you."

"Who hasn't told me what?"

Tony stood, sensing his colossal mistake. "Sorry, kid. You shouldn't hear it from me." He headed for the door, grabbing his sunglasses from his coat pocket. "You can head home for the day, though. And good luck with the puppy."

Confused and a bit irate, Kate immediately whipped out her cell phone to call Yelena. Twice, she was sent straight to voice mail, and Kate had an inkling of who the blonde was already on the phone with. Sighing, Kate gathered her backpack and headed for the elevator, typing out a 'wtf' to her girlfriend on the way.

After a walk home that included much stomping and shoulder checking people for no reason, Kate finally got a call back as she entered her empty penthouse, save for the sleepy puppy on the couch.

"Hey, babe," Yelena said cheerfully, "sorry I missed your calls."

Kate's agitation simmered slightly at the happiness in Yelena's voice, but she was hiding something, and Kate had to know what. "Do you have something you want to tell me?"

"I.. what? What do you mean?"

"Don't try and play it off, Tony let something slip. What is it?"

"Kate..." Yelena took in a deep breath. "I didn't want to tell you over the phone..."

"Yelena, what the hell is it?"

"I'm..." her voice faltered before she sured up, speaking with her usual confidence. "Pepper invited me to move in with her for the rest of the summer, so that's what I'm gonna do. It's got nothing to do with you, I promise. I just really want this time with Pepper before senior year, and let's be honest, I don't think your mom ever wanted me there."

"I want you here."

"I... I know, baby. I've loved being with you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you myself, but I only decided this yesterday and you were already upset." At Kate's silence, Yelena prodded, "Kate?"

"Yeah, that's... that's great, babe. I'm happy you'll get to spend the summer with her."

"And I was thinking... I could take Lucky with me? Pepper's always wanted a dog, and when school starts, he could live with me and the girls."

"He'll be little sorority mascot," Kate chuckled, though no smile graced her face. As the phone call went on, she deflated more and more.

"So, anyway, I'll be home soon. I could pick up Chinese on the way and maybe we could eat it on the roof? Finally try out the jacuzzi later?"

"That sounds perfect. I'll see you later."

"Okay, baby, love you."

"I love you too."

Sighing, Kate hung up, shoulders slumping. She looked around the cold, dark penthouse, with its expensive furniture and diamond chandeliers, and wondered why she was so discontent. All her life, she had everything she needed. Her mother got her into the best schools, bought her the nicest clothes and paid for all the karate and swimming lessons Kate could ask for, but something had always been missing. A hole that Yelena had temporarily filled.

Deep down, Kate knew she had been using Yelena as a sort of shield this summer. Not in any malicious way, but if there was someone else around, maybe Eleanor would hold her tongue, withhold just a bit of judgement. But with Kate's latest stunt, bringing home a dog on a whim and paired with Yelena's departure, Kate's anxiety rose.

Soon, it would be just Kate, like it had been for years. No more laughter to fill the cavernous, decadent apartment, just Kate, alone.

While Kate was not mad at Yelena, she could not help but envy her in a way. To have a mother that chose you, who wanted you, who was not just stuck with you, Kate would trade her fortune for in a heartbeat.

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